The Joker Origin Movie Is A Dark Knight Prequel
DC Film’s ever-expanding slate of movies has raised many an eyebrow among fans. One of the most curious proposals is an “Elseworlds” Joker movie, that will apparently chart the origin story of the Clown Prince of Crime. In the spirit of April Fools, Screen Rant revealed the film’s official synopsis:
Yes, that’s right, according to this report The Joker is actually a prequel to The Dark Knight. Entertainingly, a number of commenters found the story to be pretty plausible, which may speak volumes about Warner’s strategic vision of superhero movies.
“20 years before Batman saved the city in THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY, Gotham was a dangerous place. In the crime-ridden Narrows, one man tries to escape his unfortunate lot through a passion for theatrics and stand-up comedy. However, one bad day is all it takes in this city, and soon the well-meaning man has become the most dangerous criminal of all: the Joker. Directed by Academy Award Nominee Todd Phillips (WAR DOGS) and produced by Academy Award Winner Martin Scorsese (GOODFELLAS), this prequel to Academy Award Nominee Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT will explore how the Clown Prince of Crime came to be.”
Shazam! Trailer Released
Leave it to David F. Sandberg to join in with the fun. The Shazam! director released a fake trailer for the movie, and even revealed it’s full title: Shazam!: The Rise of Ponysmasher. If that makes you do a double-take, just take a look at Sandberg’s Twitter handle. So far, Sandberg has demonstrated that - like Ron Howard - he’s a director who aims to make the most of social media. The film is still early in production, so a real trailer isn’t expected anytime soon.
Official Kylo Ren Cosplay
The 501st Legion are some of the most committed Star Wars fans in the galaxy, best known for their stunning cosplays. In support of April Fools’ Day, they released costume specifics for “Kylo Ren: Supreme Leader Swolo.” This included detailed costume components, most entertainingly for the “shredded arms and chest.” It’s important that the skin-tone matches with the cosplayer, and that seams are concealed. Naturally, the cosplayer can still choose to go bare-chested if they have an eight-pack, but there should be no visible body hair.
Short Round Cast for Indiana Jones 5
In another April Fools 2018 joke from Screen Rant, we announced that Ken Jeong had been cast to play Short Round in Indiana Jones 5. “I always felt Short Round was a great character, so I’m excited to finally have the chance to bring him back as an adult,” ‘Spielberg’ explained. “Ken, I believe, perfectly encapsulates all of Short Round’s best qualities and will bring immense amounts of heart and humor to the part.”
It’s a perfect April Fools, made all the better by PYMENTS’ standard blurb at the bottom. They assure readers that this is an April Fools joke and “any resemblance to real news is purely coincidental.”
A Ferris Bueller Reboot With Edgar Wright and Tom Holland
Rounding out Screen Rant’s April Fools 2018 pranks was another strangely-believable news story that only goes to show how ridiculous the sort of projects that get greenlit can be. As the story goes, Edgar Wright and Tom Holland were teaming up to reboot Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for #SaveFerris.
Obviously fake, it still got a response from Wright himself, who said Holland was directing and him starring. Watch this space.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Cast Is Now Just Sterling K. Brown
Sterling K. Brown’s appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been seriously hyped up, but nothing hit the mark quite like the official Twitter account announcing he’d be taking over all the roles with a side-splitting redo of the opening title. To be honest, this is the sort of marketing joke you’d expect the show to play regardless, but it being April Fools definitely helped.
Roku Streaming Socks
In a hilarious video, Roku revealed their newest product; the Happy Streaming Socks. These are envisioned as the ultimate tool for binge-watching, allowing you to change channels, select programs, and adjust the volume - simply by moving your feet. To select, click your heels (you can even say “There’s no place like home” if you feel so inclined). Recognizing that people tend to lose socks as easily as they do remotes, Roku have even equipped the socks with their patented remote-finding feature. Press your terminal, and follow the beeps!
BritBox’s Newest Product - Interp-Brit
BritBox weren’t going to be outdone, though, and announced a new product of their own; Interp-Brit. Promising “every show re-voiced for our American audience,” this sees American voices replace British actors in classic shows. Perhaps the most amusing moment in the whole video, though, is the American Poirot - whose distinctive French accent is dubbed over!
Stephen King for Governor of Maine
Popular horror writer Stephen King is a literary legends whose prolific books have inspired countless films and TV shows, including The Mist, Carrie, and IT. Over on social media, King is an outspoken critic of Governor Paul LePage. He took April 1 as the perfect opportunity to announce he would be running for Governor of the State of Maine in 2018, convinced he could do a better job than LePage.
Visitors to the official campaign website could select a video and “give feedback.” Doing so takes you to a separate page declaring that “political office is one horror story that even Stephen King doesn’t want to do.”
Reddit Movies: Ask Me Anything
Definitely getting into the spirit of things, r/movies launched a whole swathe of “Ask Me Anythings” purporting to be by famous actors and directors - and even by the Netflix Algorithm. “Rian Johnson” was on combative form, complaining about “the constant texting from George Lucas telling me how to do sh**.” “Colin Trevorrow,” for his part, revealed the real reason he left Star Wars; “They said my version didn’t ‘kill enough childhoods.”
Perhaps the most entertaining? The Netflix algorithm (which preferred using caps lock) found the whole experiencing insulting. “I AM OFFENDED BY HAVING TO CLICK “I AM NOT A ROBOT,” it noted.
The Kraken Has Been Seen In London
It’s an idea that could have been lifted from any number of B-movie monster films; the Kraken has been sighted in London and has mounted a tour boat. It’s actually the second time this particular prank has been pulled on the unsuspecting British public; back in April 2016, the Evening Standard claimed witnesses had seen a “Thamesbeast.” This time round, the joke was sponsored by spiced rum brand Kraken, who are liberally mentioned in the video’s tickertape.
Final Fantasy GO
One of the best from the gaming world is the launch of Final Fantasy GO, clearly inspired by Pokemon GO. At first glance, there’s nothing particularly surreal about this; the idea of harvesting resources in the real world is actually an entertaining one. It’s only when we get to the so-called “Harvesting Stick” that the joke becomes particularly impressive; who doesn’t want to turn their smartphone into “the ultimate fishing accessory” and see it float down the stream? Props for the quizzical dog, a perfect end to a hilarious video.
Kale Churros
Even Walt Disney World got in on the act this year, announcing their newest culinary treat; Kale Churros. “One part kale, one part churro, equal parts amazing. It’s like eating salad and dessert at the same time.”
Rick And Morty (Kind Of)
Perhaps the best April Fools of all time was when, in 2017, Adult Swim dropped the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 3: the joke was there was no joke, just a surprise. This year didn’t bring anything quite so impressive (Season 4 is currently delayed), but was still fun: an alternate dimension take on the characters, this followed the Australian “Reek and Mordi” on their “Bushworld Adventures”. Hopefully it’ll tide fans over until the next batch of episodes.
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What was your favorite April Fools? Did we get you with our fake stories? Let us know your pick of the best pranks in the comments.
Next: Netflix: 15 TV Shows And Movies You Didn’t Know Were Coming In April
